Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men's Basketball MAC Tournamement Game Notes
March 05, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2006
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First Energy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
#10 Bowling Green (9-20, 5-13) at #7 Toledo (17-10, 10-8)
Monday, March 6, 7 P.M.
Savage Hall (9,000)
Series Record: UT leads 80-74
Last Meeting: at UT 72, BGSU 64 (2/11/06)
Radio: BGSU Radio Network (Todd Walker and Kirk Cowan)
THE SEASON BEGINS ON MONDAY
The Falcons and Rockets will meet for just the third time in the 27 year history of the MAC Post Season Tournament when they square off at Savage Hall on Monday night. The Rockets defeated BGSU, 85-70 in Ann Arbor on March 2, 1980 to win the first ever MAC tournament title. BGSU defeated Toledo, 94-69 in a MAC Quarterfinal game played in Bowling Green on March 4, 1997.
THE TEAMS SPLIT THE SEASON SERIES
In BGSU's 59-52 win in Bowling Green in January, senior Mawel Soler's 17 points, nine rebounds and five steals led the Falcons and junior John Floyd's basket with 21 seconds left clinched the game as BGSU held off the Rockets. Junior Martin Samarco added 12 for the Falcons. Justin Ingram shot 1-of-9 from behind the arc but still scored 15 points to lead the Rockets. Kashif Payne's 10 points made him the only other Toledo player in double figures. In Toledo's 72-64 triumph at Savage Hall in February, Florentino Valencia and Justin Ingram each had 15 points and Toledo scored its final 10 points on foul shots. The Rockets hit their last field goal when Kashif Payne scored on a layup with 2:06 left for a 62-57 lead. Valencia, who was 7-of-10 at the line, hit two free throws with 1:46 left and John Amos made three, Keonta Howell and Ingram each hit two and Payne added one in the final minute to maintain the lead. Payne had 14 points and Howell 13 for the Rockets, who were 24-of-36 at the line including 10-of-12 down the stretch. Samarco and Floyd each scored 17 points and junior Matt Lefeld had 11 for the Falcons. BGSU led 34-26 in the first half and 42-36 with 15:55 to go in the second half. Toledo took its first lead of the second half, 49-48 with just over nine minutes to go.
FALCONS IN SAVAGE HALL
The Falcons have had their share of close calls in Savage Hall in the last few years. Earlier this season, BGSU held an eight-point first half lead and led for most of the second half before falling, 72-64. In 2004, BGSU led 44-41 at halftime but John Reimold missed a wide open three-pointer at the buzzer as BGSU lost 83-80. In 2003, BGSU led 28-23 at halftime, but the Rockets outscored BGSU 50-31 in the second half before winning, 73-59. In 2002, All-American Keith McLeod hit a three-pointer with 16.6 seconds remaining to give BGSU a 59-57 lead, but Terry Reynolds layup over Len Matela forced overtime. BGSU led in OT, but did not score in the final 2:21 and fell 66-62. In 2001, Greg Stempin hit a three-pointer with 1:40 to go to give the Rockets the lead and they held on for a 76-73 triumph.
FALCONS IN MAC TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND GAMES UNDER Dan Dakich
The Falcons are 5-0 in MAC Tournament games played at campus sites during Dan Dakich's tenure. They have advanced to Cleveland for the MAC Quarterfinals in each of the last six seasons.
2005--at BGSU 75, Ball State 73
2004--at BGSU 56, Ohio 54
2003--BGSU 90, at Ball State 81
2001--at BGSU 74, Western Michigan 68
1999--BGSU 80 at Akron 74 OT (advanced to Toledo for MAC semis)
USELESS TRIVIA TO FILL THE PAGE
The Falcons (2003 at Ball State) and Ohio (2003 at Akron) are the last road teams to win in the first round of the MAC Tournament.
The Falcons made a MAC Tournament record 37 free throws in their 2003 first round tournament win at Ball State.
BGSU attempted a MAC Tournament record 80 field goals in their 1997 tourney win over Toledo.
John Reimold scored the second-highest number of points in a MAC Tournament game, 38, last year in the first round against Ball State.
The last time Toledo hosted a first round game in the MAC Tournament (2004), they defeated #13 seed Central Michigan, 91-88.
The last time Toledo was a seventh seed in the MAC Tournament (2000) they defeated #10 Northern Illinois, 68-64 in double OT.
Last year, no MAC team posted a winning record on the road in the league. This year, the four teams that did have winning records on the road (Kent State, 7-2, Northern Illinois, 6-3, Akron, 5-4, and Miami, 6-3) all earned first round MAC tournament byes.
SAMARCO COULD HIT CENTURY MARK
Junior Martin Samarco could become the third player in MAC history to make 100 or more three-point field goals in a season.
MAC Single Season Three-Point Field Goal Leaders
131 Dave Jamerson, Ohio (1989-90)
107 Mark Alberts, Akron (1992-93)
99 Martin Samarco, BGSU (2005-06)
